The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-04-23
The Hand Of Fate.
nY ST. GEORGE RATHBoNNE.

"Nhat! my old bachelor friend
turned traitor to the army of martyrs?
can hardly believe my cars. You
look sane enough, Gordon, and yet
it has always been an expressed
opinion Of mine, that when a man
goes to that-well, shall omit all
hard words for your sake, but at any
rate, look on him as crazy. Surely
your thirtv-fve years must have
taught you wisdom. By the time a
few more Of my friends put their
heads within the fatal moose shall
begin t. think all the world is mad,
or else this particular individual is
more than ordinarily sensible" and
careless, light-hearted Charlie Sea-
burn laughed.
Don't talk that way, Charlie, old
boy. Some day shall have the
pleasure Of congratulating you in
the same way that | now offer my
sell as II subject. Don't smile in
credulously. Stranger things have
happened, and some day you may
discoyerthat there is Il power to move
the world in pure, earnest love
Mark my words, for I've Il suspicion
that your doom is not far Off
1T may be so, said Charlie,
little sobcred, but Ne won't talk
about this. acknowledge that
there are some very sweet girls in
the world, but deny that any one
is worthy Of my old friend, Gordon
Fleming There, now, don't flare
up and tell me what a dear little
creature she is know the whole
description by heart. BE a good
fellow and inform me of her name
Perhaps | know her
you do, for a fact. 1t is Jessie
Kerr" said Gordon, quietly. The
laugh died out, and Charlie looked
trihe sober. Even his companion
noticed the change.
You do not approve ofmy choice
I'm sorry, for
no, it is not that. always liked
Miss Kerr, but do you know have
been indulging in little specula-
tion regarding her future. | may as
wcH out with the whole of it. You
see, ! meet the postman every day
as | go into town, and as the old
fellow takes such a long to tumble
for his glasses, ! have expedited
matters by looking over his mail
myself for letters. In doing so, l
have noticed that ON every Tuesday
letter comes to Jessie Kerr from
New York, directed in mans hand.
Now, although a woman-hater of the
most approved pattern, | am Il thor
ough romancist, and build air cas-
ties in the air for others to inhabit.
| had fancied that this was Miss
Kerr's lover. Now, as that is impos-
siblc. of course it must come from a
cousin OF uncle
"Of COURSE assented Gordon, ca
gcrly, and Immediately changed the
subject
Ten minutes later he was walking
in the direction of the mansion of
Jcssie's aunt. The surmise Of his
friend had seemed plausible enough
and yet, as Gordon sauntcred slowly
along in the cool of the evening, he
could not keep his mind from run
ming upon what the young girl had
said when he asked her as to the
consent of her relatives. in the
wide world there is no one to whom
! can go for advice but aunty-and
you she said, naively. Was it pos
sible for lover, even though he was
thirty-fve, to forget the admission of
loyalty and protection on the part of
his darling Gordon felt sure he
should remember those words with
pleasure all his life, and yet here he
was, plunging his soul in doubt.
BY the time his destination was
reached, however, he had changed
his thoughts, and was dwelling fond
ly upon the bright future that SEEM
ed spread out before him, appearing
all the more beautiful because its
Joys and trouble were to be shared
by sweet Jessie Kerr
Truly, we know not what nc
ment will bring out in this world.
Gordon was shoGn into the drawing
room by the girl, who then hurried
off to hunt mistress.
Evening was now close at hand,
The last lingering rays of the setting
sun came through the flowers at the
window and fell upon the richly car
peted floor. Gordon stood there,
looking out upon the garden. a
mnycmcnt nmong the shrubs canght